"No, no, a thousand times no!" he cried in despair, knowing all the while he had 997 more no's to go.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Dumb TV

One of the "benefits" of staying with Becky at her place is that she has basic cable. It's included in her rent, and she'll be upgrading the account to include the internet. It's a supposed minor expense, but it will improve the connection she gets with the current Wifi that's included in the rent.

When she's off at work, I have plenty of time to kill. Sure, I can play computer or console games, but the draw of television after so long without it is fairly strong. Oddly, I find myself drawn to "Tru TV," which has numerous shows containing lots of reality. Cop shows. Shows with morons caught on video. Programs that showcase "interesting" professions. That kind of thing. Between that, the American Movie Channel, and a station known as TNT, I have plenty to watch during the day. In short, I am entertained.

What gets me are the DUMB commercials. Lots and lots of dumb commercials.

The first one of note is for a phone company. It presents itself as a fairy tale about a giant grocery store manager that wants to be small. His dream is completely overlooked, and is instead given a smaller phone bill. I have, much to my regret, seen this commercial a score of times, and it makes no sense whatsoever. He wants to be small, is given a smaller bill, and is happy? I don't get it.

Then there's the one for the ASPCA. They play a sad song, show a lot of cute animals, and have descriptions of them...how they've been abused, abandoned, and lacking love. Apparently, if you join the ASPCA and give some money, they'll send you a picture of the animal you help. To me, this is a waste of effort. What they should be doing is trying to find homes for these poor animals. Instead, they want me to give money and I receive a heartbreaking picture to remind me that a poor, homeless animal is still without someone to love it? Their campaign should be for adoption. True animal lovers would do what I did. Nike is a rescued animal. They should be making gentle pushes for people to adopt something other than puppies and kittens. Older dogs and cats need homes and love too. Push for that, and not just money for a picture.

While I enjoy TNT, their slogan bothers me to no end. "TNT...We know drama." So they started advertising for two of the "Lord of the Rings" movies. Each promo would end with their slogan, and I was on the cusp of shouting at the television. "TNT presents the drama of 'The Lord of the Rings." TNT...We know drama." And there I am, finishing for them, "We know drama, and this isn't it...because it's FANTASY!"

Finally, I STILL have issues with the phrase "lightning fast internet." Using a cable of any sort means your computer is trading electrical impulses with a server. Last time I checked, lightning was raw electricity. Those signals are going to go as fast as the processors in the computers can provide. "Lightning fast?" It's a dumb phrase. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb!

And that's my gripe for today. In a matter of days, I'll start bemoaning the fact that I'll be leaving Becky behind once again. =(

About Me

Forty-three-year-old engaged male who often moans and groans about the insane drama that is his life. People seem to think I'm a superhero using the persona of a disabled individual as my secret identity. The truth is that no one in their right mind would want to see me in tights. =P